Ethiopian Atlas; Dodging Cars

by Ezra Teshome

“In January of 2024, my fiancee and I traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to visit my family and see the land of my ancestors. During this trip, I photographed many visually captivating images in the style of street photography using a 35-millimeter film camera. Each photo tells a story of its own, but I noticed an overarching theme after I had already gotten the photos processed. January is the anniversary of my brother’s death; it is also my birthday month. These two events have been at work in my subconscious as I process grief and celebrate the optimism of a new year.”

Ezra Teshome was born in Anaheim, California, USA, in 1990 to immigrant parents from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ezra is a Black and queer multidisciplinary artist with a background in construction management and civil engineering. Focused on film photography, songwriting, painting, and sewing for artful storytelling. Ezra has collaborated with established local artists in the San Francisco Bay Area and has been featured in several group and solo exhibitions since 2018.